Tourists Too Dumb To Know What Pajamas Are

A little after 9/11, the Greater Philadelphia Tourism and Marketing Corp. launched the “Philly’s more fun when you sleep over” campaign, aimed at boosting sagging hotel occupancy rates. The ad series apparently worked, but it’s been quite a while, so the day after the mayoral election the GPTMC’s going to roll out a new campaign.

And why, after so long, has the campaign gotten a little stale? Well, it’s because the international symbol for sleep — a dude in pajamas, perhaps dancing all around Center City while singing a catchy tune — is just too hard for potential tourists to comprehend.

Levitz did acknowledge that the “Philly’s more fun” campaign had started to show its age. The campaign featured people, ranging from the campaign’s hired “Pajama Guy” Jim Malone to Mayor John F. Street, in red pajamas.

Focus groups, conducted in six cities, showed that people were confused by the whole concept of pajamas.

“People didn’t even know what pajamas were anymore. They’d say, ‘What is he wearing?’” Levitz said. “People didn’t want to see Pajama Guy. They just wanted to see more photos of the city and countryside.”

Man. We gotta put these tourists on the duck boats they love so much and teach those idiots what pajamas are.

Phila. unveils new tourism ad campaign [Philadelphia Business Journal]
Philly: The Musical [YouTube]
August 20: Tourists Deserve Your Scorn As Much As You Thought